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Nancy Bradley, Dinah and Kathleen Bradley
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Bella Walker
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Stella Johnson
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Hannah O'Neill
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2019 has been a sad year for our family as we said goodbye to three of our beloved pets, Bella Walker, Hannah O’Neill and Stella Johnson.
We have had many talks over the dinner table about all our pet’s; past and present and how much they mean to us. This is a story about Dinah Bradley, the beloved dog of Allen Bradley (Pop) 1 and how difficult he found it to say good-bye to Dinah.
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Kathy Walker told this story to Robin Walker-Maya
I was born in 1935. This same year
Dinah came to live with us.
My earliest memory of Dinah was Pop (1) getting mad at her for coming after
me. Dinah followed my father everywhere. They were inseparable.
When I was 11 years old, we were evicted from our home on 459 Plainfield
Street, Providence, RI. The owner of the two-family home located above the
store wanted to make more apartments out of the large building. We had
to split our family up because there was no place large enough to accommodate
all of us. I went to go live with Aunt Beatrice and Uncle Ralph Wilson. (2) Ma,
Pop, and baby Nancy went to stay with family friends at the Brennan’s on Potter’s
Avenue. Dinah went to stay with Mae Ridgewell, another family friend. Mary
stayed with Aunt Mae and Uncle Sam. (3) and Rita lived at the YWCA. (4) The
older boys were in the military and Donald was still at Howard State
Infirmary after his diving accident at Lincoln Woods. (5) Every day
Dinah would find her way back to Pop and every day he would return her to the
Ridgewell’s. I am not sure if the Brennan’s didn’t like dogs or if they just
couldn’t have them where they were renting. This went on until we were able
to move to a place on Faith Street (6) where we could all be together,
including Dinah. It was some time after this that Dinah became sick. She
had a heart problem. I remember being 12 or 13 and taking the bus to the
veterinarians to get her heart pills. They would only give me a few at a
time. I don’t think they thought Dinah would live long. Dinah became so
sick that ma knew it was time to put her to sleep. We didn’t own a car, but
Pop drove a truck for work. He was a refrigeration mechanic. Pop said he
would bring Dinah in the truck to the veterinarians to put her to sleep.
Every morning Ma would ask him to take her and every morning he would say
maybe tomorrow. He just couldn’t do it! Finally, it got so bad for Dinah
that ma hired a cab and brought her to the vets. It is never easy to say
good-bye.
1. Pop Bradley (Allen Bradley) and Mary Stratton Bradley were the
parents of Ralph, Allen, Alfred, Rita, Joseph, Raymond, Donald, Mary,
Theresa, Kathleen, and Nancy.
2. Ralph Wilson was Kathleen Bradley’s cousin, but she
called him uncle because he was older. Ralph was the son of James Wilson and
Sadie Bradley. Sarah Amelia Bradley (Sadie) was Allen Bradley’s older
sister.
3. Sam Bradley was Allen Bradley’s older Brother. Mary E.
Nightingale (Mae) was his wife.
4.Rita lived at the YWCA and worked at a store called Liggett’s. Liggett’s
was a bit like CVS is today. She was dating a boy named “Blackie”.
I am not sure of his real name. On the same day that Donald died Blackie
committed suicide. Rita always said, “If Blackie knew that Donald died, he
never would have killed himself” After Donald and Blackie died Rita moved to
Florida for a short time and worked at a Liggett’s store there. She didn’t
stay long in Florida and eventually moved back to Rhode Island.
5. Donald Gordon Bradley was on his first vacation after getting
his first job when he was just 16 years old. He went with friends to Lincoln
woods and dove into shallow water. This accident left him paralyzed. The
family was unable to care for him at home, so he went to Howard State
Infirmary in Cranston. His mother would take two buses to visit him. Donald
died June 9, 1947. He was 17 years old.
6. Faith Street is no longer in existence. It was removed for the
new 95 highway.
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